RCMDR dietary education significantly reduced cardiometabolic risk and carotid atherosclerosis in older Chinese adults.

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis, represent a major global health burden, particularly among aging populations. These conditions are often driven by modifiable risk factors such as unhealthy dietary patterns and sedentary lifestyles, leading to increased cardiovascular mortality and reduced quality of life. Current standard-of-care often relies on pharmacological interventions, but lifestyle modifications, especially dietary changes, offer a non-pharmacological approach to mitigate risk. However, effective, scalable, and culturally appropriate dietary interventions are needed to address the complex interplay of metabolic dysfunction and vascular health in community-dwelling older adults. This study investigates a targeted dietary education program to fill this gap.

This cluster-randomized clinical trial enrolled 694 community-dwelling older residents (61-80 years) in Tianjin, China, from April 2023 to December 2024. Participants were randomized by residential area into an intervention group (n = 349) or a control group (n = 345). The intervention group received a 12-month RCMDR (reducing cardiometabolic disease risk) dietary pattern health education program. The control group received general health education. The primary outcome measured was the clustered cardiometabolic risk score (CMRS), with secondary outcomes including common carotid artery ultrasound parameters (e.g., intima-media thickness) and various cardiometabolic risk indicators (e.g., lipids, glucose, blood pressure, anthropometrics). Analysis followed an intention-to-treat principle.